Gizmodo
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cablecard
System Builders Bypass CableCARD Certification With BIOS Tweaking
Tweakers have finally bypassed the one thing in the way of getting CableCARD tuners working on any old PC by fiddling with the BIOS and entering in certain product IDs. It's a good start. More »
10,204
35
By Jason ChenComment by venc: First Post!! Are there any savings with this? 7 Responses | Other threads
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review
Moxi HD Review: Beats Cable, But It Ain't TiVo
When I hooked Digeo's Moxi HD DVR up, I told my wife it's like TiVo, and she said, "Then why don't we just use TiVo?" After several weeks testing it, I have no good answer. More » -
dvrs
Moxi Steps To TiVo, Adding Rhapsody Music and PlayOn for Netflix, Hulu and More
Digeo today brings its Moxi HD DVR in range of TiVo with some capabilities it was sorely lacking in a big way, including DLNA 1.0 for home streaming, and PlayOn for grabbing major net video. More »
5,540
Comment by salviati: So tell me again why Hulu's has declared all out war on Boxee? If the reason was because the... 1 Responses | Other threads
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cable
FCC Fines Big Cable for Ditching TiVo Owners
Ars reports that the FCC has bitch slapped cable companies that adopted the new switched digital video (SDV) CableCard protocol because, as we discussed in the spring, it totally left TiVo owners hanging. Cable companies say they should be free to do whatever they want with hardware; the FCC says, well, you still need to support companies that bend over backward to adopt to your existing technologies. More »
9,563
Comment by JEmlay: For once I agree with the cable company. There is absolutely no reason why they should support anyone but themselves.... 3 Responses | Other threads
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cedia 2008
Lifeware's LMS-810 Media Center PC Can Drive Ten TVs at Once
See these 10 TVs? They're all being driven by the same, single Media Center PC. Taking what they came with last year and doubling it, Lifeware has crammed eight CableCARD tuners (two on board and six more in the external Lifetuner box on top) into a dual Intel Quad Core, 12TB RAID 5 box that can stream out to ten Media Extenders (here, Xbox 360s driving Samsung LCDs). The box can record from all eight of its HD streams while streaming to all 10 Extenders at once, so if you've been wondering what to do with your home's 8 spare digital cable feeds, now you know. No price yet for a pre-Christmas release, but last year's model with half as many CableCARDs was $15k. More »
10,906
By John MahoneyComment by ripfire: 8 cable feeds? Couldn't you just split the signal 8 ways? 2 Responses | Other threads
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fcc
FCC Head Wants to Bust Open Cable and the Internet (But Without Neutrality Rules)
A day before the FCC is expected to slap Comcast's Hellboy-like wrist, FCC Emperor Kevin Martin gave the the NYT his big hairy vision for openness for cable, wireless and the internet: He wants to set a "very high bar on what network operators can do in terms of putting limits on consumers.” But that doesn't mean he wants true net neutrality, or even actual rules, saying that “hard and fast rules can...have adverse impact.” More »
4,037
Comment by Bull By The Horns: do we not already pay for this as ISP's are making record profits?? more » | Other threads
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sdv on tivo
TiVo Switched Video Tuning Adapters Appear at CableLabs
At long last, the SDV dongles that TiVo promised would arrive this year from Motorola and Cisco have been submitted to CableLabs for formal testing. For those unfamiliar, these little devices allow for two way communication between CableCard boxes and Cable Companies, so that only the needed programming data is sent, and bandwidth is conserved. Dave Zatz says its a good start to fixing the whole CableCard HD Programming debacle, even if its widely unsupported and a bit clunky. A shot of the Cisco box below. [Zatz Not Funny] More »
6,260
Comment by Geist420: Awesome idea.. but it's useless until everybody has it. They still need to send all the channels to everybody that... 1 Responses | Other threads
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cable
CableLabs Responds to CableCard Screwjob Allegation
The good folks at CableLabs replied to today's piece about CableCard customers getting screwed out of HD channels. To their credit, they did not ask for a correction, because we didn't print anything inaccurate (though they do claim the HD Guru may have). They just wanted us to consider some "clarifications," arguments that go far to highlight the tension (hatred bordering on violence?) that exists between Big Cable and the consumer-electronics companies. The short version: Cable content is always changing, two-way CableCard exists in theory if not at Best Buy, the dongle could work on anything with a USB port and upgradeable firmware, and, oh yeah, you'll probably be buying all-new gear before this thing blows over. Jump for a more spelled out—but still excerpted—version of CableLabs' rebuttal argument: More » -
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cable
CableCard Users Are Getting Screwed Out of HD Channels
Our friend Gary Merson, the HD Guru, has uncovered an issue that may soon piss you off. Cable customers who use the current CableCard to decode signal directly in their TV, a TiVo or Windows Media Center PC may soon start losing HD channels because of a change in technology. To conserve bandwidth, cable carriers are moving from a direct stream of video to "switched digital video," which use two-way digital cable boxes to see what customers need then send it to them. CableCards are only one-way, so they can't make use of any SDV coming down the pipes. What does this mean? Merson says that as of April 15, Cablevision has cut off CableCard access to 15 Voom HD channels, and Time Warner will apparently make similar cuts. More » -
tvs
Panasonic Kills Rear Projection, Promises 2-Way CableCard By Summer
Today in New York, Panasonic showed off the Viera flat-panel TVs it launched at CES, including its badass flagship PZ800 and PZ850 plasma sets and its premiere LZ800 LCD, all coming this summer at prices to be announced. During the meeting, Panasonic also confirmed officially that it was no longer in the rear-projection business, owing to a price crunch in flat panels that basically drove any discount value out of the chunkier projection sets. Bottom line: people would rather pay $3K for a smaller and thinner set than a larger but fatter one. Panasonic also addressed the issue of OpenCable (aka OCAP aka Tru2way) two-way CableCards. More » -
pcs
Dell Reintroduces CableCARDs on XPS 420s
We've been keeping an eye on Dell's discontinued CableCARD systems since they first introduced them on the XPS 410s because they were a relatively cheap way to get HD recording on a reasonably-priced desktop. Well, fantastic news! Chris Lanier says that Dell's reintroduced the CableCARD option on their XPS 420s, which you can customize and get out the door starting at about a thousand bucks. According to Dell, this is a "functional upgrade to the platform", which means you'll be able to get the CableCARD on this line for the foreseeable future. Sounds like a cheap alternative to our set-top-box wishlist item. [Dell via Chris Lanier]
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By Jason ChenComment by strider_mt2k: @Jayson J. Phillips: I know it blows my current machine out of the water. I'm just glad mine runs ET:QW decently. more » | Other threads
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gadgets
TiVo-Compatible SDV Tuner May Enable Video on Demand
Remember the USB connector device we pointed at a couple days ago that could bring two-way cable communication? It be this Motorola USB SDV tuning resolver. Dave Zatz explains that this tuner, which will plug into the back of your TiVo in order to enable two-way communications between your box and the cable company, will be in deployment by the end of Q2 2008, and may support video on demand in the future. Even if it does not, the point of an SDV device is to tell the cable company which channel you're watching so they can feed you only one at a time, which then lowers bandwidth, which then allows a larger selection of channels for everyone. [Connectedhome2go via ZatzNotFunny]
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By Jason ChenComment by jamesreb: Comcast, in my market, replaced their old, bulky digital converters with a new box that looks exactly like this one.... more » | Other threads
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dvrs
TiVo Fiddles with Nero to Build PC DVR
Why let Microsoft's Media Center PCs have all the fun? Today, TiVo announced a partnership with Nero to "develop a software solution that will bring TiVo features to the personal computer." The company claims that this is in response to the "growing PC TV tuner market," and in our opinion its a wise move. TiVo lost a lot of momentum not anticipating CableCard. Now that cable technology is getting easier and easier to move to the PC, it's not long before the demand for PC recording hits the mainstream. Replay TV and others are already there, so joining with Nero gives TiVo a solid foothold. Only question is this: what happened to Roxio? I thought TiVo and Sonic-owned Roxio had a nice relationship. [TiVo via Zatz] -
laptops
Sony Updates VAIO AR Laptops with Blu-ray and CableCARD
Sony's AR series of VAIO notebooks with their Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 and T7500 processors are already in our catbird seat but now the company's goosed its 17-inch versions, giving them the ability to do a lot more both on the road and in the home theater. How does a Blu-ray drive on board sound to you? How about CableCARD? More » -
cedia07
Life|Ware Shows Quad-Recording Media Center with Four CableCARDs
Life|Ware rolled out what it says is the first media center PC running four CableCARDs at the same time, and it proved to us that the whole thing actually works today at CEDIA 07. Its life|media Media Center PC is the new top of the line for the company, and it's packing an Intel Quad Core processor, 4GB of RAM and 4TB of storage for a cool $15K. The money shot? It can record four HD channels while it's streaming HD video to four Xbox 360 Elite boxes running the media center extender at the same time. And, it does all this without even breathing hard.
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confirmed
TiVo Confirms TiVoToGo and Multi-Room Viewing Will Hit Series3 and TiVo HD This November
The rumors we posted are true: TiVo is finally getting its balls back. TiVo has confirmed with Gizmodo that TiVoToGo and multi-room viewing have returned to the new Series3 boxes—including the TiVo HD—and will be available in November. We are told that the hold up was DRM—getting the rights stuff figured out with CableCard was a hassle. But once that was solved, insiders say it took a "LONG time" to get the software to work right on the Series3 platform. More » -
media center
Okoro's Vista media centers are now shipping with CableCard. [MSMVPS]
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don't miss
TiVo HD Review From Late Last Night
That's a beauty shot of the $300 TiVo HD we reviewed last midnight. If you use a DVR, you have to check it out. This thing is pretty badass for three bills. [TiVo HD Review] -
breaking
$300 TiVo HD Unboxed and Fondled (Verdict: Hell Yes!)
If you've been saving up your nickels to get a $800 TiVo Series3, you just got yourself a $500 bonus prize. Today TiVo releases the TiVo HD, a scaled-back version of the original Series3 that lists for just $299. We got our hands on one, and managed the even more complicated task of convincing Cablevision to install two CableCARDs. Now that it's up and running, I can't think of a single reason to ever plug in that Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD again. (Oh yeah, the TiVo's a loaner.) The great news: To reach the low-low-price of $300, TiVo only cuts the corners we'd cut ourselves. It is functionally a Series 3, minus the fluff.
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pctv
New ATI TV Wonder Cards Add Enhanced DVR Functionality, QAM Tuner
Today, ATI announced the 600 USB and 650 PCIe cards, one for USB one for PCIe. The USB is a single tuner HDTV device for laptops, like the Pinnacle. The 650 PCIe is a desktop card with two tuners (that's new) that records and plays an analog and digital source simultaneously. Both cards have Orb DVR software which allows other PCs on the network to stream shows from the host PC. More » -
home entertainment
Cable Companies To Charge More For Box Rental, Thanks To CableCard
The good news is, as of July 1 cable companies are required to ship new cable boxes that use new bi-directional CableCards, a move mandated by the FCC to support CableCard-based alternatives such as TiVos and Vista Media Center PCs. The bad news is: Everybody's gonna pay for it. By next January, set-top box rentals may go up $2 to $3 per month, and the rate hike may apply to every cable-box renter, and not just those who opt for the super-deluxe new models. More » -
road to hell
500 HD Channels on Cablevision? No More Programming Until CableCard Is Easy!
Reuters today said that Cablevision would have "the capability" to carry over 500 high-definition channels. This would include the 15 channels that Lazarus-like startup Voom HD Networks (now owned by Cablevision) plans to introduce next Tuesday, along with the 20-some HD channels that are allegedly in the lineup now plus, I suppose, 460 more channels of come what may. (Never mind the fact that Cablevision doesn't even carry BBC America, the company itself acknowledges there are not yet 500 channels worth of HD programming.) More » -
cablecards
When's CableCARD 2.0 Getting Here?
Engadget HD has the story on why CableCARD 2.0—the standard that everyone's waiting for to provide bi-directional high- def cable support like video on demand—isn't here yet. Turns out the standard for bi-directional certification isn't there, and the associations and coalitions of companies can't agree to agree on what's needed for certification. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by Worf: Question is, I just want CableCARD for Shaw cable. I don't want no two-way bidirectional crap. I don't care for... more » | Other threads
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buyer's guide
Ten Things You Should Know Before Buying a High Def DVR
With the recent launch of CableCARD Vista Media Centers, many people are reconsidering buying (or upgrading to) a high definition DVR. But with all the different choices and various benefits and drawbacks of each, it's hard to choose the one that's right for you.
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battlemodo
CableCARD Vista Media Center PC vs. Tivo Series 3
I want to record high-def cable TV, at full resolution. So there are only a few choices: TiVo Series 3, a Vista Media Center PC with CableCARDs, or a rental box from the cable company. I realize that this list has a price spread of a few bucks a month to rent the cable company DVR to several thousand dollars to get the PC, but let's ignore that for a second.
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By Jason ChenComment by wooties: For the non-techie Tivo For the techie that doesn't mind fiddling with their machine to get what they want MCE all... more » | Other threads
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tvs
CableCARD 2.0 to Support On-Demand and Pay-Per-View
CableCARD 1.0 has yet to catch on, yet CableCARD 2.0 is already breathing down its neck promising features not found in the current version. CableCARDs were supposed to make our lives easier by letting us swap our bulky cable box for a tiny card we could install in our TVs, but things didn't work out that way. More » -
home entertainment
S1Digital Joins CableCard Media Center Bonanza in Early May
Now that ATI's CableCARD problems are fixed and CableLab's five-week certification process is almost done, more companies are jumping in on offering CableCARD-compatible media centers. The latest is S1Digital, which just announced that they will offer Media Centers and Servers with HD DVD and Blu-ray playback, 1080p HDMI output, 7.1 channel surround, multi-terabyte storage, quad-processor computing and Vista Ultimate. More » -
home entertainment
ATI CableCARD Problems Fixed, CableLabs Holding Up Process
Remember when we told you that CableCARD Vista Media Centers were being delayed thanks to problems with CableCARD? Well, turns out there were some bugs on the tuners when switching between analog and digital on some Scientific Atlanta networks. But here's some new info: More » -
pcs
Velocity Micro First to Ship CableCard-ready HTPCs
The wait felt like an eternity, but it appears the first CableCard-friendly PCs are ready to roll. Velocity Micro's top-of-the-line Grand Theater systems are "100 percent" and shipping this week while the Pro Cinema systems will ship a few days behind. While other companies have announced Vista MCE boxes with CableCard certification, these will be the first to actually to hit the streets. Let's hope they're worth the wait. More » -
home entertainment
Rumor: Niveus CableCARD Media Center Shipping Next Week
We often send our intern blongo to sift through various companies' dumpsters—he gets to keep whatever food he finds—but most of the time all he comes back with is a handful of useless press releases, some pens, and garlic breath. This time, however, he's discovered that Niveus may be planning to unleash their CableCARD-capable Vista HTPCs next week. More » -
home entertainment
Want a Vista CableCARD Media Center? Not So Fast
If you were a Media Center 2005 user like us, you were eagerly awaiting Windows Vista's arrival for its CableCARD HDTV compatibility and recording. Who needs a TiVo when you could build your own system for a couple hundred bucks that does just about as good a job? That is, until the Series 3 HD recorders came out.
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home entertainment
The Everything Box: VidaBox Adds CableCARD to its Media Center PC Lineup
We've covered these feature-packed VidaBox media center PCs before, but none like this: in addition to having both Blu-ray and HD DVD players on board, now VidaBox is offering CableCARD compatibility on its line of media center PCs. So now you'll be able to watch and record HBO, Showtime (if you subscribe to them) and anything else from digital cable, plus play back Blu-ray and HD DVD in 1080p. More » -
home entertainment
Dream of Streaming CableCard Content with Windows Vista? Think Again
If you're thinking the upcoming Windows Vista is going to let you use a CableCard instead of a set-top box to do whatever you want with your video, you might be disappointed. More » -
home entertainment
TiVo Tattles to FCC: Cable Companies Being Dicks About CableCard
If you're thinking about springing for one of the latest TiVos with CableCards inside, you might be in for some rough sledding, if TiVo itself is any indication. It's been meeting with the FCC (here's the follow-up letter from that meeting), decrying "CableCard deployment issues," meaning that TiVo is trying to get the FCC to force cable companies to more effectively deploy CableCards for its multimedia recorders, without overcharging, technical issues or missed appointments. More » -
home entertainment
TiVo Series 3 Info on Tivo.com
TiVo.com has a page up where you can register for Tivo Series 3 updates. The page has no other forthcoming info other than that the set is HD. And that it uses CableCARD tech so it can decrypt digital TV signals from satellite and cable boxes without additional set top boxes. In otherwords, stuff we already know. Well don't just stand there, go sign up! More » -
home entertainment
Vista to Support HD CableCard PCs, But Not OCUR Upgrades
Info trickles out about the capabilities of Media Center Edition on Windows Vista, and Matt Goyer, Microsoft's blogger for the company's eHome division, offered both good news and bad news in his post from last Friday, July 28.
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cablecard
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